This is a blogg* to share my eXcess; that which reached, touched, entertained or angered me, in general all that draws my interest and thereby transmutes my Xsistance.
Eclectic music, metaphysics, (pre)history, conspiracies against humanity, the environment.

May 11, 2016

RhoDeo 1619 Aetix

Hello, the Eurovision Song Contest kicked of with it's first semifinal tonight, rather disappointing my favorite turned out to be Cyprus. There was a Sinead O Connor version in a Bjorkish dress courtesy of Croatia she made the final as did Douwe Bob who in contrast to most others wrote his own song. Personally I think that songwriting for other countries should be forbidden, that way there would be much more variation. That said the whole show is much more entertaining than it was before all those eastern European and ex sovjetrepublics joined in. Australia has joined too so why not Canada maybe soon, after all their diva Celine Dion started her international career winning 1988 Eurovision Song Contest for Switzerland.

Today a German group that stands as one of the innovators of the subgenre of Euro-rock dubbed body music, a sound characterized by its dense electronic makeup as well as its harsh, visceral execution. The group came together in 1981 as a duo comprised of vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, and mouthpiece Jurgen Engler, formerly of the German punk outfit Male, and ex-Propaganda member Ralf Dorper. Over the course of the group's first three records -- 1981's Stahlwerksinfonie, 1982's Volle Kraft Voraus, and 1984's Entering the Arena -- Die Krupps continued to refine its lyrically bleak, synth-based sound. ...N'Joy

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The band's name translates as "The Krupps" and comes from the Krupp dynasty, one of Germany's main industrial families before and during World War II. In some interviews the band stated that Visconti's 1969 movie The Damned — a depiction of the fictitious German industrial dynasty of the Essenbecks — was the main inspiration.

Ralf Dörper who was part of the initial line-up which created the highly acclaimed early recordings "Stahlwerksynfonie" and "Wahre Arbeit Wahrer Lohn" in 1981 left the band in 1982 to found the band Propaganda. Propaganda became one of the few German bands which were internationally successful in the 80s. In 1989 Ralf Dörper initiated a collaboration with Nitzer Ebb on an old Die Krupps track (i.e. Machineries of Joy, a cover of Wahre Arbeit Wahrer Lohn) which he produced together with Jürgen Engler. The chart-success of the record (Billboard-Charts) led to the reactivation of Die Krupps fronted by Engler and Dörper.

The initial Die Krupps sound throughout the 1980s combined synthesizers with metallic percussion. Die Krupps were key in the Europe wide progression of Electronic Body Music culminating with the collaboration in 1989 with British band Nitzer Ebb. In 1992, they began to utilize guitars and more sounds derived from heavy metal music, with the release of their album I and the EP Tribute To Metallica, which consisted of covers of Metallica songs. Combining electronic and metal elements was a pioneering move which led to a number of other bands using the electronic/metal combo as a template in keeping with a deeper industrial sound. The band continued in this vein through the 1990s, releasing II - The Final Option (with a cover influenced by Deep Purple's Machine Head) in 1993. A more experimental and pensive III - Odyssey of the Mind followed in 1995. After the release of the heavily metal-influenced album Paradise Now in 1997, the band disbanded. Jürgen Engler founded the project DKay.com and released two albums in 2000 and 2002.

Die Krupps celebrated their 25th anniversary with appearances in some major European festivals as well as solo appearances in 2005 and 2006. In fall 2007, two greatest-hits albums were released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Die Krupps: "Too Much History - The Electro Years Vol. 1" and "Too Much History - The Metal Years Vol. 2", both in digipak format. Both albums were combined as the 2-disc "Too Much History".

The influential back-catalogue of Die Krupps has been remastered and expanded. So far four of their previous albums "Stahlwerksynfonie" "Volle Kraft Voraus", "I" and "Final Option" have been re-released. To celebrate thirty years of "True Work" Die Krupps launched a joint European tour with Nitzer Ebb in spring 2011.

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Digitally remastered and expanded two CD edition of this 1981 release from the German Industrial band. Not as many claim a sound related parallel to the Einstürzende Neubauten, but quite independently. Die Krupps set at the steelworks symphony synthesizer borne sounds, paired with a monotonous drum sound. Drums sound ... it is not a drum machine. This is also a very interesting sound component of the albums, which relies primarily on the abnormal, as well as a coordinated dancefloor rhythms. Malaka and Engler have played together already at times. Bored by the former punk sound of the leap succeeded into the experimental subject. With regard to the possibilities offered to the Engler and Co. a brilliant albums will be presented here. An Album which was formative for the industrial sound as well as for the dancefloor sound already mentioned.

The concert featured on Disc Two took place at Haus Blumenthal in Krefeld 1981 and was recorded by a Japanese gentleman, Agi Yuzuru, a journalist, happened to be in Europe to report on the new music that was emerging everywhere - but foremostly in Germany. A tour with DAF, Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft, promoting their 'Alles ist gut' Album at the time, was to follow in June of '81, which cemented DIE KRUPPS' reputation as being a fine live-band, and which established them as a force to be reckoned with.

Long before Die Krupps were an important part of the industrial metal scene, they were considered one of the most significant electro-EBM bands of the early 80s. Their second album "Full speed ahead!" Is now re-released in digipack out, and in addition to the original album from 1982, also a second CD with current remixes. The minimalist music involved no guitars, and the German-language song Jürgen Engler reminds stylistically strongly DAF. The songs seem at first glance quite simple and monotonous, evolve over time but a downright hypnotic effect. Also the lyrics are strongly reduced to their essential message, which is why the individual numbers have to make do with just a few words. Still, songs like "Death and the Devil" or "New Heroes" true genre classics that even after more than 25 years lost none of its charm. "Volle Kraft Voraus !" Is a very important historical document, the countless bands has significant influence, and whose innovation is often forgotten.

Vintage electro? Not really - because this remixed re-issue of one of the pioneering works of Die Krupps does not sound at all like the whimsy 80s it was created in. And although it stands in the tradition of its hometown s electronic heritage (Düsseldorf brought you Kraftwerk, Neu!, DAF) Die Krupps "Volle Kraft Voraus" already anticipates notions made much later in Vancouver, Chicago, Detroit or Brussels. Nowadays considered to be a fore-boding classic that crosses electro-punk and synthie-pop, its original appeal was somewhat lost due to a shoddy mix when originally released in 1981.

Recorded & mixed at Eastcote Studios, London. This album is dedicated to all the gladiators who will fall in the arena of life. The third album of Die Krupps, which to some extent continues to style, initiated by the previous disc, "Volle Kraft Voraus!". A significant change is that now the lyrics entirely in English. Musically, it's synth-pop, and while the music is, in principle, made in the same way, often when listening comparisons arise such as the Ministry era album "Work For Love", an early Front 242. In general, the album is quite benign, sometimes melodic and, in general it's pretty colourful....